Wireless communication networks in general, and cellular networks in particular, defer in various issues, including the frequency band they use, the communication protocol they apply, and to some extent, the types of services they support. Examples of frequency bands currently in use for cellular communication are the 800-900 MHz and 1800-1900 MHz frequency bands in the United State, and the 800-900 MHz in Europe. Examples of communication protocols currently in use are the second generation GSM (Global System for Mobile communications) and CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) standards and the third generation UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System, also known as W-CDMA) and CDMA2000 standards. Examples of types of services are the standard circuit-switched voice call services, the packet-switched services, short message services (SMS), and Internet-based services based on the Internet Protocol (IP) and the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP). An example of a short-range wireless communication standard is the Bluetooth/IEEE 802.15.1 protocol, operating on an Industry, Scientific, and Medicine (ISM) frequency band such as the 2.4-2.483 GHz.
The vast majority of MPs sold today are either single-band or dual-band devices registered for service with a certain service provider, where service accessibility is enabled by a Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) card placed within the mobile phone. Triple-band MPs are also becoming available, with two cellular communication bands, and a third personal wireless communication band such as a Bluetooth (T.M.)-based network.
When a person purchases a mobile phone, usually she also becomes a subscriber of a certain service provider. Once a person becomes a subscriber of a cellular network, she is bound to use her mobile phone only within the network to which it has been designed for and to which she has subscribed to.
Several methods and apparatuses have been devised for enabling MPs for communication through a different network, some use satellite networks, some use standard landline networks, and some use private wireless networks, for establishing a communication link with the cellular network service provider.
A different approach for accessing a second network is to incorporate a gateway within the communication path established between the MP and a terminal of the other network. In one configuration, the gateway is incorporated in-between the first and second networks. In another configuration, the gateway is incorporated in-between a data terminal and the MP, where the MP serves as the entry point for the data terminal to the network. In yet another configuration, the gateway is incorporated within the MP itself and is used as an access point for data terminals to the network. Also, multiple gateways may be incorporated within the same communication path. In these configurations, a link has to be established between the MP and the first network.
In yet another configuration, the MP, data terminals, and the gateway are communicating through a short-range network, and the gateway enables accessing a plurality of networks, including cellular networks, the PSTN, and a local area network. In this configuration, the MP cannot communicate with the cellular network unless a gateway is within range or unless it is equipped with means for communicating on both the short range and the cellular networks. Therefore, the gateway is not transparent to the MP, since the design of the MP has to conform to the network and protocol of the gateway device.
In another aspect of the prior art, methods and apparatuses have been developed for adding service accessibility to MPs by extending the SIM card module to encompass multiple SIM cards. This has been done in two major ways: by adding another built-in SIM card reader and SIM card socket within the MP, and by coupling an accessory device with multiple SIM card sockets and a processor for controlling them. These extensions to service accessibility, however, handle only the accessibility phase of the communication process, while the communication with the network is handled by the MP. Therefore, this solution is suitable for accessing networks within the frequency bands and in accordance with the communication protocols supported by the MP.
In yet another aspect of the prior art, various mobile web protocols and technologies for wireless and mobile Internet connectivity and service provisioning have been developed, including: WAP (Wireless Access Protocol); Mobile IP; Mobile SIP (Session Initiation Protocol); mobile VoIP (Voice over IP); mobile versions of web technologies such as SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics), SMIL (Synchronized Multimedia), and SRGS (Speech Recognition). The underlying concept behind these and other Internet-related technologies is the extension and adaptation of the connectivity and service provisioning of the Internet to wireless and mobile applications.
In yet another aspect of the prior art, several architectures, technologies, and protocols related to fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) have been developed. Narrow scale, network-level convergence technologies include the Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) specification, which provides a model of convergence between PLMNs and PSTNs. Large scale, application-service level convergence technologies include the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) specification and architecture of 3GPP and its equivalent MultiMedia Domain (MMD) specification and architecture of 3GPP2, both provide an Internet-based model of convergence between various communication networks.
In yet another aspect of the prior art, non-telephony wireless applications have been developed in parallel with wireless telephony applications. Examples of such non-telephony wireless applications include: broadcasting, home automation and control, and personal healthcare. Such applications may be installed in user devices such as a MP for providing their functionalities.
In yet another aspect of the prior art, a variety of specifications have been developed for purposes such as WLANs, mobile/wireless Internet browsing (Wireless IP, Mobile IP), broadband wireless access (BWA) communication, and digital broadcasting. Each one of these specifications defers in some technological aspects such as frequency band, signaling method (such as TDD, CDMA, and OFDM), and transceiver and antenna circuitries, and claims superiority upon the others in some performance aspects such as coverage range, effective bandwidth, interference reduction, interference recovery and control, mobility, power consumption, and cost. Examples of wireless communication networks and protocols include, but not limited to: GSM; CDMA; UMTS; CDMA2000; TD-SCDMA; GPRS; EDGE; Bluetooth; IEEE 802.11X (also known as Wi-Fi), wherein the ‘X’ stands for any variant, addition, or amendment to the base specification, including, but not limited to ‘a’, ‘b’, ‘e’, ‘g’, ‘h’, ‘i’, ‘n’, and ‘p’, all collectively termed hereinafter as 802.11; IEEE 802.15.3Y (also known as Ultra WideBand, or UWB), wherein the ‘Y’ stands for any variant, addition, or amendment to the base specification, including, but not limited to ‘a’, all collectively termed hereinafter as 802.15.3; IEEE 802.15.4Z (also known as ZigBee), wherein the ‘Z’ stands for any variant, addition, or amendment to the base specification, including, but not limited to ‘a’, all collectively termed hereinafter as 802.15.4; IEEE 802.16U (also known as WiMax), wherein the ‘U’ stands for any variant, addition, or amendment to the base specification, including, but not limited to ‘a’, ‘d’, ‘e’, and ‘f’, all collectively termed hereinafter as 802.16; HIPERLAN (High Performance Radio LAN), which includes HIPERLAN/1, HIPERLAN/2, HIPERACCESS, and HIPERLINK; ETSI BRAN (Broadband Radio Access Networks) and HIPERMAN (High PErformance Metropolitan Area Networks). In addition, currently in development are standards such as IEEE 802.20, IEEE 802.21 and IEEE 802.22, termed hereinafter as 802.20, 802.21, and 802.22, respectively. Other specifications developed in an attempt to merge mobile networks with wireline networks (such as the PSTN or cable TV) and/or with WLANs and Internet communications include: Digital Enhanced Cordless Telephony (DECT) specification; World Digital Cordless Telephony (WDCT); UMA (Unlicensed Mobile Access) specification. Other specifications which have been developed for wireless broadcasting applications include: DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting); DVB (Digital Video Broadcasting); DVB-T (Terrestrial DVB); Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB).
The main form that is applied in the prior art for supporting these and other technologies is by embedding the desired technologies within the MP from the start, and providing the necessary support in the communication networks. However, once a MP has been manufactured, it is bound to the specific technologies embedded within it and therefore cannot benefit from advancement in new technologies as well as from improvements of the embedded technology. In addition, since the use of a certain embedded technology depends on it being supported by compatible equipment of the communication network (such as access points and access control services) deployed in appropriate places such as customer premises, airports, or throughout urban areas, its utilization might be in question. Furthermore, even when the technology embedded within a MP and the technology of the access network are the same, compatibility might still not be guaranteed, since various restrictions might be set by manufacturers and network operators on the ability of a MP to interoperate with an arbitrary communication network, or since security information required to authenticate and encode/decode data exchanged between the MP and the communication network might not be accessible.
Information on primary technologies and communication protocols to which the present invention relates may be found, among other ways, in Internet sites as follows:
Protocol/technologyInternet site3GPP protocolshttp://www.etsi.org(e.g., GSM, UMTS)http://www.3gpp.org3GPP2 protocols (CDMA-basedhttp://www.3gpp2.orgprotocols)IEEE protocolshttp://www.ieee.orgWLAN protocolshttp://www.etsi.orgsuch as DECT, HIPERLAN, and BRANBluetoothhttp://www.bluetooth.orgWiMAXhttp://www.ieee.orghttp://www.wimaxforum.orghttp://www.intel.comMobile web protocols and technologieshttp://www.ietf.orghttp://www.sipforum.orghttp://www.sipcenter.orghttp://www.voip-info.orghttp://www.voip.org.ukUnlicensed Mobile Access (UMA)http://www.umatechnology.orghttp://www.itu.intFixed-Mobile Convergence (FMC)http://www.itu.intInternet Multimedia Subsystem (IMS)http://www.itu.intISO 7816 protocol (MP-SIMhttp://www.iso.orginterface protocol)
Therefore, there is a need for an apparatus and method transparent to the MP, for adding communication capabilities through a second network to a standard MP, such that a communication path established between the MP and the second network does not comprise a communication link between the MP and the first network.